Wet Willy Scotch Ale - New England Brewing Co.

Daktyls

Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, slightly reddish amber color with minimal head that dissipates to a very small patch of lacing that seemingly struggles to maintain itself.

S: Light notes of caramel, some hoppiness and very light notes of yeast are present, almost a breadiness. Some alcohol is present in the nose as well.

T: Dark fruits dominate with sugary sweetness in the background along with a very slight hop profile. Some sweeter notes of vanilla and toffee are present on the finish.

M: A very full bodied beer with a 'boozey' quality to it, thick and syrupy on the tongue.

O: Overall, very tasty and enjoyable, not the best Scotch Ale, but definitely one that I would purchase, and enjoy, again.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 17:41:24 | More by Daktyls

n2185

North Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a murky brown with a finger of beige head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Loads of caramel malts with notes of vanilla, sweet breads, and graham crackers. Slight alcohol aroma as well.

T: Sticky caramel malts dominate with vanilla and hints of toffee. Sweet bready flavors are also present with a moderate alcohol presence.

M: Medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer avoids being too sticky sweet.

O: A pretty decent Scotch ale overall. Not terribly complex and a bit boozy, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 13:03:19 | More by n2185

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle poured into a massively oversized snifter (really need to get a thistle).

A - looks like a thick DIPA, honestly. hazy orange-red-amber with a finger of head. recedes prety quick and leaves only splotches of lacing. has some pretty decent legs going on when swirled a bit.

S - brown sugar, astringent hops, caramel, booze.

T - thick sweet body. again, brown sugar. definitely get the oak + slight vanilla tones. noticeable amount of hop bitterness.

M - really, really nice. carbonated and thick, basically zero alcohol bite (impressive for 10%).

Drink it. It's good.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 02:02:04 | More by tehzachatak

sommersb

Tennessee

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 11-28-2012
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 500 ml brown bottle, pry-cap covered in plastic
Glassware: Thistle
Purchased: Received in a trade

Pours a hazy red/orange color, capped by a moderate sized tan head. Head retention is good, with a fair amount of lacing clinging to the glass.

Aromas feature sweet, bready malts, molasses, and dark fruits such as dates and raisins.

The taste is very rich and flavorful, with pretty big boozy notes. Flavors include dark fruits, caramelized malt, and an oak character. Fairly sweet, with just a slight bitterness. Mouthfeel is thick and full-bodied, and a moderate amount of carbonation. Finishes malty sweet, with significant alcohol warming.

Overall this is a potent Scotch ale; a tour de force in maltiness and booziness...

Thanks to merc7186 for this one!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 05:47:31 | More by sommersb

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500ml bottle into hf tulip. Not sure of the vintage.
Pours a copper haze almost ruby brown. Oily thick looking with thin thin head.
Lots of caramel and toffee aromas.
Taste is very sweet toffee and bitter slight hop flavor but the characteristic scotch flavors are present but not overwhelming. Nice brew...id love to age this for a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:19:12 | More by DrinkSlurm

davey101

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 vintage, 500ml bottle into a NEBCO flute glass served at cellar temperature.

A - Pours a clear dark red color with a bit of sediment. Initial pour yields a two finger off white head which doesn't stick around for too long. Settles into a thin cap and edging. Moderate amount of lacing and retention.

S - Toffee, caramelized malts and dark fruits, and vanilla rich butterscotch. A bit of an alcohol tingle on the end.

T - Loads of rich caramel and toffee. Light notes of vanilla and butterscotch, Not super complex or full of flavors, but its very rich and tasty. A touch of alcohol warmth but its very faint and only helps with the flavor profile. Finish is of sweet butterscotch candy.

M - Creamy and medium bodied with silky carbonation. Slightly dry finish with only a lingering buttery rich candy flavor. Very smooth with no alcohol heat.

O - This beer is excellent, and with nearly a year on it its drinking so well. Can't wait to try a fresh bottle in a few weeks. One of the more enjoyable scotch ales I've had.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 02:21:35 | More by davey101

alexgash

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle.

Slightly hazy ruby orange-red. Finger of dense, creamy, dirty beige head. Very nice lacing and retention. Very malty sweet nose. Candied fruits, rich caramel, peat malt, whiskey, and some rum.

Scorched caramel up front. Becomes fruitier and sweet and caramelier Slight woody, tannic bitterness around the edges. Whiskeyish, peaty notes near the finish. Woody bitterness in the finish with lots of lingering caramel and fruit. Medium-full body, with a softly carbonated feel. Delicious and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:26:52 | More by alexgash

abrand

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle poured into pint glass.

Pours a copper color with a slight haziness to it. Not much of a head is noticed after an aggressive pour. Good carbonation is seen. Smells slightly sweet with toffee and caramel. Plenty of malts on the nose. Bready doughs also come through as it warms. Taste is great. Nice sweetness with candy up front and a slight bitter finish. Very enjoyable. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall this is great. Very good scotch beer. Straight forward.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:45:37 | More by abrand

Boto

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught @ Willimantic Brewery: Served in a snifter. There was no head or lacing with this one. It was a ruby tinged brown color. The aroma was a bit lighter than expected. Some caramel sweetness, and maybe some oak. The taste is very good. Very smooth. Some sweet citrus, dark fruits and some caramel and smokiness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 19:18:27 | More by Boto

chugalug06

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

One-finger head grows upon a cloudy brown brew with lots of orange and red. Head has heavy yellow/green glow to it.

Very herbal and propely sweet. A mild roar comes from the depths of my Southampton snifter. Lots of big caramel

Very dry and high in ABV, but it's hardly noticeable when you get into it. Sweetness is mild and very well done. Spices come across my tongue and leave me with an almost fig-y feel/flavor. You can feel the heat, but it's very well made.

A three hour boil! Wow! Worth waiting for, this was a delicious brew, thanks Andy for sharing! Don't judge this brew by its appearance.. There's lots of love in this fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 04:35:44 | More by chugalug06

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown mahogany color with a bit of an off white head that dissipates almost immediately leaving some spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with caramel maltiness mixed with equal amounts of butterscotch, dark fruits, toasted bread and a hint of booze.

The taste follows the nose and brings out toffee, dark fruit and spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. After the toffee opening, the earthy and peaty flavors move in, balanced by a bit of drying alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is actually rather crisp, sharp and dry compared to many sweeter ales in this category.

Overall this was a good scotch ale but not anything amazing or worthy of seeking out if you can get something similar easier. Alesmith and Traquir still make the best examples of the style (one domestic, one imported) but I see no reason to seek this Wet Willy out over any of them which I can locate much easier.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 16:23:20 | More by claspada

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to fortsambo for the extra.

Pours hazy dark gold/orange. Almost looks like a wheatwine. Small off-white head with decent lacing.

Smells very caramelly with some peat and grain.

Very smooth sweet flavors. Again heavy on the caramel and toffee. I know it's not, but it does almost taste like it's got some barrel notes to it. Thankfully the peat is fairly subdued in the flavor. Still a bit sweet.

Thick mouthfeel although gets a little towards syrupy especially at it warms.

Pretty solid beer although not without flaws. I see there's a bourbon aged version of this, which would be awesome because this beer seems like a great candidate for barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:08:19 | More by jmarsh123

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a semi-translucent copper with deeper red hues. There is about one full finger of off-white head that settles in a decent amount of time. Seriously great lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is caramel, peat, and what I swear is barrel aging. I know this hasn't seen a barrel treatment, but there is some mellow boozy heat in there.

T: Starts out nice and sweet, big caramel notes. Those mix well with some spice and booze heat. The bottle I'm drinking is over a year old, and it's better than I remember fresh.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet and cloying to start, smooths out in the middle, and finishes with a boozy and spicy kick.

O: Really solid beer. I'm usually not a big fan of Scotch Ales, but this is nice. I'd drink this again no problem.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 22:24:00 | More by trxxpaxxs

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review adapted from notes taken 6/15/12

Appearance: Burnt orange/copper, with some light brown - small, creamy off-white head that fades quickly, leaves some spotty lacing - hazy

Smell: Heavy malts, cooked and grainy - a sweetness that can only be described as dark and grainy - some booze - somewhat whiskey-like, almost smells barrel aged (even though it isn't) - some dark fruit - rich bread crust and overcooked biscuits

Taste: Bread crust and some warming booze - heavier than I anticipated - cooked, caramelized malts, caramel malts, with some dry alcohol - slightly bitter, with a grainy sweetness - dark fruits, and some smoked malt

Mouthfeel: Heavy and full, borderline syrupy, adequate carbonation, nice carbonation, a sipper for sure

Overall: A decent sipper for Scotchtoberfest

This is not a fantastic Scotch Ale, but I certainly wouldn't mind having it again. It really needs to be consumed slowly. Apparently it is 10% ABV, but I wouldn't have been shocked learn it was 15%. Seriously. It's boozy, but in a pleasant way.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 02:45:54 | More by angrybabboon

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle served in a snifter.

pours a dull copper shade yielding maybe a 3/4" off-white head. so-so retention as it recedes pretty quickly into a thin cap, collar around the glass. (not unsurprising given the style and strength); decent lacing evident. nose is decidedly on the muted side; definitely lacking that boldness i was looking for. what is there is a bit sweet - as in fruity, maybe citrus, with some caramel malt in the background.

subtle nose belies the flavor, which does pack a bold punch. there's that fruit presence - citrus, maybe dark fruit, with caramel malt and secondary notes of vanilla and oak... good degree of complexity. is this barrel aged? has that feel but i was under the impression it wasn't. one of the more unique beers i've had lately. nice, medium-full mouthfeel with slightly below average carbonation.

overall this may not be one of the best scotch ales out there but it is very solid. worth a try.

(originally reviewed: 05-17-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 14:36:22 | More by BostonHops

jegross2

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewing the Wet Willy Scotch Ale from New England Brewing Company out of Massachusetts.
Score: 65

Fall 2011 vintage bottle with code "7283 B-22227" printed on the bottom of the bottle. Served in a Stella Artois chalice and enjoyed on 04/24/12.

Appearance: Pours a dark brownish red color. Translucent. Thin layer of head at pour settles to a pencil thin bubbly ring around the glass. Lots of bubbles and a little sediment floating around. Minimal lacing, poor retention. 3/5

Smell: Brown sugar, bready malt, sweet caramel, and a little vanilla cream soda. Modest amount of fig too. Light boozy heat. 3.75/5

Taste: Lots of bready malt and malty caramel upfront. Lots of carbonation. Brown sugar too. Incredibly sweet, not very balanced in flavor. Has a super sweet vanilla creamy soda finish. Could not finish drinking the beer, it was so malty sweet. Alcohol well-hidden, however. 2/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, too much carbonation. Slick mouthfeel. Very sweet. 2.5/5

Overall: Overly malty sweet beer with too much carbonation. The alcohol is hidden well if you can stomach the maltiness. This is easily the least balanced scotch ale that I have had to date.

Recommendation: Skip this beer.

Pairings: Pistachio nuts.

Cost: $7.99 for a four pack

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 06:54:54 | More by jegross2

mdaschaf

Washington

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to mnbearsfan for this one!

A: Pours a hazy burgundy color with a small off-white head with little retention, a ring of lace forms. Thin, but sticky lacing forms on the side.

S: Some bready/biscuity malt, vanilla, caramelized sugar, and a little bit of dark fruit.

T: Some sweet, dark fruits come out right away, with more bready malt to back it up. There is some vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Rather smooth with a slightly dry finish. Abv hidden very well.

O: A nice scotch ale, very tasty and surprisingly easy drinking for 10%. Would certainly drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:09:14 | More by mdaschaf

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500mL bottle; 2010 vintage

Pours a reddish/brown with some mild bubbles forming. It appears sitting on this a year has hindered the carbonation. The aroma is of toffee, sugary fruits, bready malt, herbs, and some ethanol. The flavor profile follows the nose. Caramel and toffee with toasted multigrain bread and sweet sugary fruit. The booze in this guy is not bashful, but never overpowering. Given that this is a year old, the carbonation has faded, making the feel a little thin. Overall, this has some nice qualities but I will need to try this fresh to review this adequately. Consider this a rough draft.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 17:12:01 | More by ColForbinBC

billab914

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500l bottle into my CBS snifter. It poured a murky, orange/brown color with a thin, bubbly, white head barely covering the top of the beer. Nice lacing as I drank it as well.

The aroma shows a sweeter, malty profile to it with some caramel and toffee leading the way. The taste also showcases the malty, caramel flavors pretty nicely as well. I get a little vanilla to it in the finish along with some balancing bitterness.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being below average. Overall it was a pretty solid beer of the style. It showed some very good malty, caramel flavors to it but didn't become overly sweet. Very flavorful and tasty beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 23:17:54 | More by billab914

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to philbe311 for acquiring this one.

Pours a murky coppery amber with lots of sediment, moderate cap off off-white head, minimal retention. Scent is a fantastic blend of buttery toffee, brown sugar, sweet caramel, glazed roasted nuts, kiss of smoke and earth, lightly juicy and resinous hops. Taste follows suit with a wonderfully blended and complex flavor profile that evokes just about every positive quality consumed in the style. Toffee, caramel, roasted nuts, vanilla, pineapple, char, earth, wood, lightly herbal, alcohol. Fuller side of medium bodied, smooth with some heft as it goes down, light bite at end of sip. Overall, a true winner in and out of the style and one I'd have over and over again.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 14:18:37 | More by rfgetz

TotallyHosed

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks codysjb for the bottle.

The appearance was off-putting. This was poured into a wide mug and produced no head. Saw no carbonation around the glass. The color looked just like apple cider.

The smell was also uninviting. I just got some sour notes. Nothing else, probably due to the total lack of head.

The taste was all this brew had to offer. It was slightly hot, with some hints of caramel.

The feel was light to medium. No carbonation was felt.

I did not enjoy this beer. I think I'm being generous with a 3.0 overall rating, but at the same time I don't think it's bad. Should I ever see this on tap, I'll give it another try.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 17:26:41 | More by TotallyHosed

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a thistle. I can't remember who sent this to me, but it was one of my first trades, so this bottle is well over a year old.

Appearance - Pours a murky, sedimenty, chunky, fairly gross looking dark amber. No head. Huge chunks of sediment pour long before the bottom of the bottle. Looks icky.

Smell - Wow, it's quite a turn around. This isn't listed as oaked or barreled, but it sure tastes like it. Oak and bourbon come through a ton. Sweet caramel malts and some buttery aromas as well.

Taste - Buttery, as a scotch ale should be, but it's got a nice complement of oak and bourbon flavors. It's really interesting and more complex than I was expecting. It's a bit on the sweet side and finishes with a slick butterscotch flavor reminiscent of more traditional wee heavies.

Mouthfeel - I must confess to not liking the feel of scotch ales. The oak treatment (that I may or may not be imagining) masks it a bit, but it's still there. Buttery and slick. Not a lot of carbonation and it's pretty boozy too.

Overall - I am pleasantly surprised. This is not a beer I expected to enjoy this much.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 23:10:27 | More by Alieniloquium

henskejk

California

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into tulip glass. Reviewed from notes

A - Dark orange, slightly red in color, good amount of lacing on glass

S - not as strong a smell as I would have liked, but it is mostly sweet/,alty smelling with a little bit of oak

T - nice sweetness mixed with oaky flavor and a little bit of booziness on the back

M - medium body, medium carbonation, smooth

O - enjoyable, but wish it had a stronger aroma

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 22:23:37 | More by henskejk

BranfordBound

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle that has been aged for a little over a year, poured into a shaped pint glass.

Pours a very cloudy dark amber color with a small head that fades. Was this always under-carbonated? Not sure. Some lacing spots.

Very sweet aroma, fruit forward, some brandy, musty wood, slight caramel, candy, honey, etc.

Pretty slick feel. Syrupy sweet but then it gets kicked out by a slight alcohol burn. Touch of wood in the back combined with a dry afterfeel. Notes of caramel, honey, brandy. Really tastes what I imagined a Scotch Ale to be.

Neutral mouthfeel, bordering dry. Full body.

The sweet caramel and honey notes really gives this beer a Scottish feel to it. Alcohol, wood, and some fruit just add to the complexity. Way to go NEBCo!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 23:51:38 | More by BranfordBound

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep coppery brown color, with a thin off-white head, that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains bourbon, vanilla, caramelized malts, some fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out and remains very sweet with flavors of caramel, vanilla, brown sugar and a little bit of fruit. Then a very hearty malt character comes in along with a mild hops presence that creates a good balance. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium-to-heavy body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, strong and well-disguised kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 04:49:07 | More by TheManiacalOne